10 Life Lessons that we can learn from Bhagavad Gita

Scriptures are probably the last thing we turn to when life gives us lemons. But surprisingly, they contain answers to almost all your problems and unsolved mysteries. One such scripture is the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is considered to be a doctrine of universal truth. The teachings of Gita encompass each and every aspect of life.
During the battle of Mahabharata, when Arjun felt weak, Lord Krishna imparted the ‘Gita Gyaan’ to him, boosting up his confidence and spirits. The ‘Gita Gyaan’ is known as the Bhagavad Gita. The scripture is written in a dialogic form, as a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjun.
We live in an era where religion is confused with spirituality and scriptures are considered boring. In such a fast paced life, no one has the time to read and ponder over the teachings of the scriptures. The Gita enlightens the people about the concept of Dharma, Bhakti, Karma and Yogic ideals. We bring to you 10 life lessons that you can learn from the Bhagavad Gita, to help you make your life a little easier.

10. Everything Happens for a Reason

“Everything happens for a reason; nothing occurs by chance. It’s all a part of God’s divine plan.”
There is a reason behind every action that happens. However illogical the event may seem, there is a certain valid reason as to why it happens. Try and appreciate every moment and try and learn from it. Break free and set your spirits free. In the end, everything makes sense. You will eventually know why something happened the way it did. Do not spoil your present by thinking about the past or the future. Live in the moment!

9. The Offering of Wisdom is better than any Material Offering

“We behold what we are, and we are what we behold”
You are what you think you are. Every person possesses the most powerful weapon inside themselves- wisdom. Material offerings are not permanent. They either perish away or you lose them somehow. There is always a fear attached to material things, that you might lose them. Wisdom, on the other hand, only grows. Wisdom grows with experience; wisdom grows when you share it with other people. Wisdom helps you realize the fact that the less material things you need the happier and more content you would be.

8. Change is the Law of the Universe

“What belongs to you today, Belonged to someone yesterday, And will be someone else’s tomorrow. Change is the law of the universe.”
A lot of us find it difficult to accept change. We like to adhere to the way things have been since a long time. We would be a much calmer lot if we realize the fact that change is the law of the universe. True wisdom lies in realizing that nothing is constant and nothing is permanent. One must embrace the movement and changes –the ebb and flow of life. Each moment is totally new and even nature is never constant. If there is no change, there will be no growth and hence a stillness in the universe.

7. Live in the Present

“Whatever happened was good, what’s happening, it’s going well, whatever will happen, will also be good. You need not have any regrets from the past. Do not worry for the future. Live in the present.”
The thumb rule to happiness is – live in the present moment. Human beings spend most of their lives by either thinking about the past or worrying about the future; so much so that we forget to live in the present moment. The moment that you have right now is absolutely new and will never come back. Make sure you live in the present moment without worrying about the time spent or the time that is about to come.
Next time you’re on a trip, ditch your camera and breathe in the landscape, meet and talk to new people and live the moment.

6. Let Go!

“You came here empty handed, and you will leave empty handed.”
It’s human tendency to get attached to material things. Actually, attachment to material things can weigh you down. There comes a time when you don’t possess things, but things begin to possess you and can have a deteriorating effect on the psychology of a human being. Material pleasures are short lived and can cause suffering when they are not there. When traveling the journey of life, take no possessions; travel light.

5. The Soul Never Dies

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
The Soul is eternal. It is a form of energy that can neither be created nor be destroyed. It only transforms from one form to another. Birth and death are of this realm. The world is perishable and whoever takes birth must die. But the soul can never be destroyed. The essence of being a human being lies more in your soul than your body.

4. Meditate!

“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.”
The fact that meditation makes you happier is a timeless truth. Meditation helps improve concentration of the mind and rejuvenates it. Meditation trains our mind to strive to achieve the maximum success, happiness and spiritual fulfillment. Mediation offers a respite from the hullaballoo of life. It prepares the mind to work better. Meditation helps our mind to access higher knowledge.

3. Give Your Best and Don’t Worry About the Results

“Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.”
This is probably one of the most famous and wisest lines from the Bhagavad Gita. We are so goal-driven these days that everything we do is related to the result it would yield for us. While this might sound impractical, but is one of the wisest things you would read – give your best to your work, without worrying about the results; because when you give your best, the results are bound to be in your favour.

2. Do not Fear Death

“Even as man discards old clothes for the new ones, so the dweller in the body, the soul, leaving aside the worn-out bodies, enters into new bodies. The soul migrates from body to body.”
Death is the absolute truth and the ultimate reality of life. If there is anything that is constant in this world, it is death. If you have taken birth, you are bound to die one day. There is nothing to fear about death, for the real essence lies in the soul. It is just the body that perishes, but the soul is immortal.

1. Anger causes Delusion – Be Calm

“From anger delusion occurs, from delusion bewilderment of memory, after forgetfulness of memory the loss of spiritual intelligence and losing spiritual intelligence one perishes.”
Anger is a negative emotion and no one has ever achieved anything positive by being angry. Anger compels people to sin, inspite of themselves. One is not aware of themselves when they are angry and act on impulse. They often get rude or jealous and lose emotional balance.
It is essential to remain calm in difficult situations, a quality which comes through the practice of meditation.

The Gita’s teachings are not restricted to one period of time, a particular culture or group of people, or a certain geographical location. They are for everyone, everywhere, at all times.